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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916230">Curtains of Heaven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/pseuds/lieano'>lieano</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asanoya Week 2020, Emotions, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Noya's personal hell is the 'There Is Only One Bed' trope, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, So many emotions, Spoilers, Travel, Yearning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:14:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/pseuds/lieano</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What had started as Noya trying to deflect had turned into concrete plans. They were going to travel together. They’d go through some places that Noya had never been to before, and others that he thought of a second home. He had spent years trying to run from Asahi, and he had officially failed. Worse, he couldn’t find the will to be upset about it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Asanoya Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Egypt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I'm writing this ongoing travel fic for Asanoya Week 2020. Uh, I did some travelling in Europe like 8 years ago, so some of the places I've been to and some of the things that will happen are based off real life events. It's more fun that way I think. But it's also been a long time and I haven't been to all these places, so if some things are inaccurate, I'm sorry. I'm doing my best with research and all that! A longer Asanoya travel fic was inevitable for me, tbh. I love travelling and I love Asanoya and I've been all heart-eyes-emoji ever since the finale over their trip around the world together! This is my take on what happened. (Please note this is no way associated with the one shot I posted last month, that had waaaay different emotions than what I'm going for now.)</p><p>Anyway, this is ongoing and will update HOPEFULLY every day this week. If I get behind a little, I apologize. But each chapter will focus on a prompt from Asanoya week for the day it's (meant to be) uploaded! The first day prompt I chose is 'affection'. Please follow @asanoyaweek on twitter for more good good Asanoya content this week!! Leave a comment if you feel so inclined and thank you for reading!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The conversation had gotten out of hand. It had begun the same way all their phone calls did. How are you, how was your day, where are you now, how is everyone back home? Then Asahi had brought up that the Olympic men’s volleyball tournaments were starting soon.</p><p>	“Oh yeah. You guys are having a watching party, right?” Noya asked. He pulled back the curtain of his hotel room window absently as he talked. The stillness of his room was starkly contrasted by the immediate chaos he saw on the streets of Cairo below. It was a busy, loud city. Typically it was a speed with which Noya could relate. He was always on the go, constantly looking for work or things to do. He always had to be going, always had to be doing. But when he was on the phone with Asahi, there was a quiet in him that he had never been able to explain. Asahi calmed him. It was nice to decompress once in a while, to let his brain and body rest. He let the curtain fall closed again and went to lay on his bed instead, staring at the bland ceiling above his small bed, letting the deep cadence of Asahi’s voice lull him into peace.
</p><p>	“Yeah, at Tanaka’s house,” Asahi said. “I sent you an invitation in an email. Did you get it?”
</p><p>	Noya chuckled. “You have to know I never check my email, Asahi. I only hold onto this phone so that I can talk to you. And the others. Keep in touch.” He had to add the last part quickly. He just hoped that Asahi hadn’t picked up on the obvious yearning in his tone.
</p><p>	A long sigh crackled over the other line and then Asahi said, “I was kind of holding out hope that you’d show up and surprise me or something.”
</p><p>	Noya’s heart leapt into his throat, but he choked it back down. “Sorry. There’s some stuff I can’t get out of here. I have… Flights scheduled.”
</p><p>	“Oh, you’re headed out?” Asahi sounded vaguely concerned. Or maybe interested. It was hard to tell over a phone call like this. Noya wished they were facetiming, but was also semi grateful that they weren’t. He hated lying to Asahi’s face.
</p><p>	“Yeah. Uh. Soon.”
</p><p>	“Oh. Will you be able to watch the Olympics where you are? You’re not too busy for that, right? We can still watch the matches together.”
</p><p>	The word ‘together’ bounced around in Noya’s head like a rogue ping pong ball. So much for peace. He sat up on the bed and started fidgeting with the edge of the sheets that he hadn’t made up from the night before. “Well, maybe. I don’t know. Think I’m going somewhere pretty remote.” It wasn’t necessarily true, but Noya wondered if it should be. Maybe he needed to go somewhere without cell service for a while.
</p><p>	It wasn’t that he didn’t want to watch the Olympics. Of course he did, a lot of his high school friends had gone on to be pro players and he wanted to see them play again so badly. He had been waiting over a year for this, after the Olympics had been delayed last year. He was about to burst with anticipation for it. But the only way he had managed to keep a decent relationship with Asahi alive these past eight years was the dramatic separation of the present from any memory associated with high school.
</p><p>Asahi still was and always had been his favorite person in the world. But the day Asahi had graduated high school, everything had changed. Noya had worked really hard to repair things between them. Now, he could spend hours a day talking to Asahi about fashion or travel, but the instant volleyball was brought up, Noya felt faint. Too many memories. Too many feelings. It made him feel 16 again, and that was something he was quite literally running from.
</p><p>	“What like the North Pole?” Asahi asked, a little laugh in his voice.
</p><p>	“Yes,” Noya said. “Exactly like the North Pole. I’m on my way to the North Pole right now.”
</p><p>	Asahi hummed, thinking it over, and then he said the most ridiculous thing Noya had ever heard, and that was when Noya realized he had lost control. “I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights. Sounds fun. See you in a bit.”
</p><p>	And then the line had gone dead.
</p><p>	The very next day, Noya had received an alarming early morning phone call and rushed around his hotel in a state of shock, trying to make himself presentable. He tried not to think about it. The phone call. What was happening. If he did, he thought his blood vessels were going to burst under his skin. He was vibrating so much from the inside out that even Cairo looked to be moving in slow motion around him as he made his way to the airport.
</p><p>	While standing at the gate an incomprehensible moment later, Noya tried some breathing exercises. In, and out. He could feel the air moving through his blood to his brain. He latched onto it, trying to think. It was going to be okay. He had run, both in distance and time, away from that moment that had just about ruined his life. He was practically a whole new man now. He could face Asahi. It would be normal. Cool, even! It had been so long. Maybe they would have fun. Maybe it would be totally chill, just two good friends catching up, sightseeing, hanging out. Nothing to sweat about.
</p><p>	And then there he was. Tall, broad, effortlessly handsome. He had his hair pulled up in a loose bun on top of his head, little brown fly-aways bouncing as he walked. His strong jaw came to the blunt end of his chin where a little manicured dust of stubble sat. His clothes were baggy, but the expanse of his torso and long arms were still clear as he walked, his strides long and slow. He was exactly the way Noya remembered him, and so much more intoxicating. He had always been big, but there was something about him, something new that could only be attributed to maturity. The word ‘man’ came to mind.
</p><p>	Asahi met his gaze, and his own softened almost instantly. His eyes were wet, his shoulders slumped. He looked as though he was about to melt into the floor. Noya rushed to him, barely in control of his own feet, propelled by some unseen force. He caught Asahi, stopped him from dissolving. Asahi fell into his fingers and wrapped around him, absorbing him in a hug. Noya hadn’t realized until that moment that in the past four years since he left Japan he had been <i>painfully</i> lonely. There were cultures in the world that were more handsy than he was used to growing up in Japan, but he hadn’t experienced anything like this in a long time. The closeness, the affection. He shivered as he took a deep inhale of Asahi’s cologne.
</p><p>	“It’s okay,” Asahi blubbered. “You can make fun of me for getting emotional.”
</p><p>	But Noya had never been one to find joy in poking fun at Asahi’s vulnerabilities.
</p><p>	When they had collected themselves and Asahi’s luggage (just one bag that could have been a carry on), they made their way back into the city. They stepped out into the sun and Asahi, who was already in much better spirits after being allowed a quick cry, laughed and tugged at the scarf around his throat.
</p><p>	“Not exactly what I was expecting from the North Pole,” he joked, smiling down at Noya.
</p><p>	“Well, don’t get too used to it,” Noya said, grinning despite himself. “We’ll start heading north in the morning.”
</p><p>	They were really doing it. What had started as Noya trying to deflect had turned into concrete plans. They were going to travel together. They’d go through some places that Noya had never been to before, and others that he thought of a second home. He had spent years trying to run from Asahi, and he had officially failed. Worse, he couldn’t find the will to be upset about it.
</p><p>	The streets of Cairo were busy as always. Crowds of people bumping into each other, the honking of car horns screeching at each other as they fought for dominance on the small streets, vendors shouting for attention, the pungent mix of livestock and spices, Asahi’s constant hand somewhere on Noya’s body.
</p><p>	The last bit was not as typical, but it mixed in with the chaos in Noya’s brain until he realized it was happening, and then it was all he could think about. They pushed through crowds and Asahi had a hand on his lower back, letting him know he was still following. They passed by an aggressive street vendor and Asahi had a hand on his elbow, pulling him forward. They crossed the street and Asahi had a hand on his shoulder, steering him out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. Noya, startled by the tenderness in the small touches, wanted to turn around and snap at Asahi that he had been in Egypt for a week, he knew what he was doing. But he didn’t. He memorized the press of Asahi’s big fingers through his clothes instead.
</p><p>	“Japan’s match isn’t until a little later,” Asahi said, pocketing his phone after a quick search. Readjusting to new timezones, Noya thought. He glanced at the bag Asahi had slung across his shoulder. For a man whose job was in the fashion industry, he had packed rather light. Almost as if he’d been in a hurry. Noya’s hotel was all the way on the other end of town. They could go drop the bag off. Or.
</p><p>	“Want to go see the pyramids?” Noya asked.
</p><p>	Asahi blinked at him from behind his stylish sunglasses. “Now? Right now?”
</p><p>	Noya shrugged. “Why not. When in Rome, right?”
</p><p>	“We’re in Egypt.”
</p><p>	“Come on,” Noya said with a laugh. He curled his fingers around Asahi’s wrist and led him down the street. His touch was light. Gentle, trying to return some of the affection that Asahi had been pumping into him since he arrived. If he kept holding onto all of it he would explode.
</p><p>	They rented camels to take them out to the beginnings of the Western Desert where the nine Pyramids of Giza stood between yellow sands and the blue skies. The camels were long, wrinkly, ugly looking beasts. The one that Noya climbed up on had a bottom lip that it just couldn’t be bothered to keep closed and eyelashes that could be used to craft a set of formidable knives. He found them to be incredibly endearing. Especially when the one Asahi was on kept trying to nip at the edges of his scarf.
</p><p>	Asahi found a common language with the tour guide who led their camels, riding on a steady horseback in front of their gangly steeds, and proceeded to ask all sorts of questions. It was a little new to Noya, traveling in this way. It had been so long since he left home, traveling had become a lifestyle. He worked most of the time, bouncing from job to job, just making enough money to find food and shelter. He was more concerned about finding a way to get to his next destination than he was settling into any one place. He did some touristy stuff from time to time, but not often. Visiting the pyramids hadn’t even been on his radar, he realized with a jolt. Which was so strange. Why come to Egypt and not see them? Asahi talked to the guide like it was the only reason he had come to Egypt at all. Thinking about it like that made Noya feel a little better. A little colder against the hot desert sun.
</p><p>	They started out as impressive little triangles on the horizon and grew into breathtaking monoliths built out of massive stones the closer they approached. When they were standing at the base of the first pyramid, Asahi put his hand up against the rock. The stones were big and Noya was supposed to feel some type of way about the ancient people that managed to move and stack them so artfully. He could tell by the way Asahi’s eyes watered behind his sunglasses that he <i>was</i> feeling it. But then, Asahi had always been a touch empathetic. All Noya could think about was how much of the stone was covered by Asahi’s long fingers and what those hands had felt like on his body.
</p><p>They asked a kid to take their picture in front of the pyramid for some cash. Knifelashes the camel tried to nibble on the end of Noya’s hair while he wasn’t paying attention. It got such a rise out of Asahi, his laugh tingled down Noya’s nerves like electricity. He reached an arm across Noya’s shoulder’s, still trembling with laughter, and tried to wipe some of the sticky camel spit out of Noya’s wilting hair. Noya found himself face to face with Asahi’s chest, so close, and had to take a deep breath to stop him from blacking out.
</p><p>	After the picture, it became a little too evident to Noya that the desert was no place for this moment of reunion with Asahi. They were running out of excuses to touch. Everything was spread out and vast in the way it wasn’t in the city. Noya impatiently looked at his watch and said, “If we want to get into a good sports bar for the match we should head back.”
</p><p>	“Yeah,” Asahi agreed, a little too quickly. “We can order drinks and food while we wait.”
</p><p>	“Yeah,” Noya said. And they headed back into the crowds of Cairo.
</p><p>	Noya would later wonder if he picked the most packed bar on purpose or not. He would wonder if Asahi didn’t turn it down on purpose much much later. They ordered drinks. They waited. And then they lost themselves in the cheering and celebrating. Noya was mystified by the unchanged and yet grown-up images of Kageyama and Hinata on the big tv hanging above the bar. They had come so far. He almost felt like crying. There were others, old friends from high school he played with. He wanted to tell the whole bar, brag to the whole city, <i>I know those guys, I played with them!</i> Instead he clung to Asahi, not even aware that they were holding onto each other. They were both just so enraptured with the game, with the progress of their friends, with their shared past. Asahi’s grip on him every time a point was scored was something grounding and familiar and he squeezed back.
</p><p>	Noya was certain he would never sleep again after the match. He was too wound up. He must have been vibrating out of his skin because, with an affectionate little chuckle, Asahi said, “Maybe we should do a little more sightseeing before we call it a night.”
</p><p>	In dire need of something calming, Noya said, “I know what we can do.”
</p><p>	Noya had been in Egypt for a week before Asahi shook up his little routine. He hadn’t seen the pyramids yet, but he had spent ample amounts of time on the Nile river. He was like lightning drawn to water. He sought it out in all of his travels, finding jobs that involved fishing or boating as often as he could. He’d seen the small felucca’s with their narrow boats and triangle sails drifting down the river with small groups of tourists sitting in circles on rugs, watching the water flow around them. He wrapped his hand around Asahi’s wrist again and pulled him along.
</p><p>They weren’t touching much. They were in public. There were other tourists on the boat and a person manning it. But they were sitting close. Asahi was cross legged on the rug, leaning back on his arms. One of his hands happened to be supporting him from just behind Noya, who had his knees drawn up to his chest. Noya clutched his legs close, hoping that they would prove to be a last line of defense if his heart truly decided to burst from his chest.
</p><p>	The sunset created a dramatic contrast of colors on the horizon of the Nile. The sky was blood orange, so bold and deep, it was as if the sun was trying to burn away anything it might have missed on that hot Egyptian day. Everything below the horizon line was pitch black, silhouettes of the city and palm trees plastered against the orange. Little black dots of birds flitted across the fading embers of the sun. The water below them shimmered in the remaining streaks of golden light.
</p><p>	Orange and black. It was familiar. Noya tilted his head from side to side, processing the slow aching thud of his heart. He snuck a glance toward Asahi, peeking out of the corner of one of his giant golden eyes, trying to be subtle.
</p><p>	Things had changed, that was undeniable. They weren’t kids anymore. And, well, there was Asahi’s graduation still floating in the back of Noya’s mind. It would always be there, like a parasite sucking away his usually boundless confidence. But sitting in the shadow of an orange and black landscape with <i>his</i> ace next to him, Noya found it in himself to breathe. What had he been so wound up about all day? It was <i>Asahi</i>. His best friend.
</p><p>	These assurances did not stick with Noya when they finally made it back to his hotel room and he realized he had booked it with only one twin sized bed. He stood in the doorframe, his mouth hanging open in offended shock, as if he couldn’t believe he had done something that was once so practical but now was such a huge inconvenience.
</p><p>	“I can just get another room,” Asahi said quietly when Noya made no move into the room.
</p><p>	“Uh, no. No. That’s ridiculous. I’ll just sleep on the couch-”
</p><p>	“No, wait, I can-”
</p><p>	“Asahi, you won’t fit on the couch. Let me. It’s okay. You did a lot of traveling today and we’re not staying another night here anyway.”
</p><p>	With a great sigh, Asahi conceded to Noya’s offer and made his way to the bed.
</p><p>	In the middle of the night, Noya awoke with a start. His back ached from the position he’d scrunched himself into on what was really more of a chair than a couch. He felt the pressure of his bladder which was the real cause for his consciousness, eager to expel the drinks he’d consumed in the sports bar at a most inconvenient time. Noya grunted and pulled himself out of the chair, stretching as long as he could when he was on his feet.
</p><p>	It felt really good for about a second before he froze, his ears and eyes falling on the signs of life his hotel room had not displayed in previous nights this week. The soft almost-snore of Asahi’s deep breathing. The rise and fall of the thin sheet he’d pulled over himself. His bare toes hung out of the edge of the bed, which was really too small for his huge body. Noya’s heart stuttered in his chest. <i>Asahi is here,</i> he thought for not the first time. <i>Like… Really here.</i>
</p><p>	Noya sucked in a breath and made his way to the bathroom as quietly as possible. He would get through this. He’d take Asahi up to the North Pole and they’d see the Northern Lights and lots of other fun touristy stuff along the way. And he wouldn’t even think about Asahi’s graduation 8 years ago. Or the feelings that he had been trying so hard to let shrivel and die inside him, but that were now blooming under the pouring stream of affection he was feeling again. And in the next city, he’d be sure to get a room with two beds.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Greece</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Asanoya week is over, but this fic will go on! My ambitions were, predictably, misplaced lol. I have a lot of othe projects I'm working on and also reading a lot, so I'll take my time with this. I'll try to update it weekly though! And the chapters are still inspired by Asanoya week prompts. Day 2 was Jealousy. :) Enjoy~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If he ever got tired of travelling himself, Noya often thought he would be able to make it big as a travel agent. He was a spontaneous person, following the wind wherever it took him, picking up odd jobs as they fell in his lap. But it was inevitable that after three years of international exploring he would pick up a few travel tips here and there.</p>
<p>	For Asahi’s benefit, because he was a touch more anxious than Noya was about all things and travel seemed to be no exception (Yes, he could apparently hop on a plane and fly to Egypt with very little planning, but overcoming anxiety was a life-long journey and that had been a rare and beautiful moment of bravery for him.), he had devised a tentative itinerary for their trip up north. They were not technically headed to the North Pole, as it was only accessible a few months out of the year and they had missed the window. But they were still going to see the aurora borealis. Greenland was their final destination with lots of little trips throughout Europe on their way. And their first stop was a Grecian island called Kos, because Asahi wanted to see a beach before they went into the winter tundra.
</p><p>	While the sands of the Egyptian deserts had been yellow, the sand on the beaches of Kos was white and soft. August was the hottest time of the month for the island and right in between peak tourist seasons, so it was a little crowded. The turquoise waters of the Aegean sea pushed up against a barrier line of plastic beach chairs and colorful umbrellas. Boats bobbed lazily in the nearby waters and the outline of Turkey could be seen on the horizon.
</p><p>	Noya had been in Greece before. He really loved it for a lot of reasons. The sea, the climate. But most of all the locals. Greeks were on their own schedule. They took long breaks and spent ample time with their loved ones, relaxing and enjoying life. Being in Greece made Noya feel like he could do anything he wanted, achieve any dream he set his mind to. Like he had discovered the edge of the world, sprouted wings, and now the only place left to go was wherever his imagination could take him.
</p><p>	Of course this dreamy, laid back attitude also meant that when Asahi and Noya walked into the lobby of their hotel, there was no one there to greet them. Noya rang the bell a few times, looking around the bright blue painted room. Asahi leaned across the counter and peered at the old fashioned rack of rings hanging on the wall.
</p><p>	“Did you book the last room?” Asahi asked absently.
</p><p>	“I don’t know. Why?” Noya asked, pulling himself away from searching for life to glance at Asahi over his shoulder.
</p><p>	“There’s only one key on the hook,” Asahi commented. “The beach we passed on the way here looked busy, but not that busy. I wonder if it's more packed than we thought, that’s all.”
</p><p>	A trickle of dread started to drip into Noya’s lower stomach, but he ignored it and continued his search. Finally, after a shout that he hoped didn’t sound unfriendly (he wanted to be serviced, but he also did not want to intrude on the beautiful slow rhythm of the island), a bearded clerk emerged from a curtain on the far wall and smiled at them.
</p><p>	Noya spoke a little bit of Greek, enough to hold a basic conversation in a dire situation, but it wasn’t one of his fluent languages. Since this was a big tourist island, they would have no trouble finding English speakers, so he was able to easily communicate to the clerk that he had reservations.
</p><p>	The clerk squinted at the little tablet he had in front of him and said, “Oh, I suppose you do.” Not exactly the phrasing Noya was expecting. He lifted an eyebrow suspiciously. “Well, it’s okay. We had an unexpected, uh, family reunion, let's call it. But we still have a room open for you.” He reached behind him for the lone key and handed it to Noya, beaming. “I apologize in advance for the noise at night. You’ll be okay, yeah?”
</p><p>	Noya nodded, because who was he to start making noise complaints after the life he’d led, and led Asahi up the thin spiral staircase that would take them to the room listed on the key’s tag. When he opened the door, his stomach finally sank as his dread manifested. Asahi chuckled nervously behind him.
</p><p>	“This again?” he said, clearly trying to make light of the situation. “Well, at least it’s a slightly bigger bed, right?”
</p><p>	The doors to their small balcony were open, airing out the room. A gentle breeze was playing with the long white curtains that hung to the floor. Noya briefly considered just running right out into the street below but thought better of it.
</p><p>	“The couch is nicer here too,” he said gleefully, stopping Asahi before he could argue by dropping his bag on one of the plush floral cushions. His dismissal did not stop the one bed in their room from morphing into an elephant begging to be talked about. An awkward silence fell upon them, confirming Noya’s worst fears. Things were weird between them. And they were only going to get weirder. Perhaps it wasn’t the bed who had become an exotic animal. It was the past, perched on a branch above them like a lion, ready to maim whoever brought it up first.
</p><p>	“So,” Asahi said after clearing his voice like he could chase away the awkwardness. Noya almost jumped, and for a fleeting terrible second he thought this was it, but then Asahi continued, “Do you just want to go down to the beach right now, or...?”
</p><p>	Noya was pretty sure that if he slowed down for more than a second he would implode like a dying star. The buzz of Cairo was still in his veins, and even though he loved the beach and the water and the general vibe of Greece, he needed to get out some pent up energy from the flight. And maybe, even though he had lost the chase of running from Asahi physically, he could still get in a few more laps and out pace the heavy conversations that were gaining on him. He needed a distraction.
</p><p>	“Let’s go explore first. We can relax later, I promise.”
</p><p>	It quickly became evident that aside from people and beaches, Kos had two other major commodities to offer: ancient ruins and stray cats. The latter was a delight to both of them, but especially Asahi who was a self-proclaimed cat-person. You would think that his imposing height and intimidating aura would put animals off of Asahi, but when he knelt in the dirt and held out a hand and cooed gently and waited, the cats came. They swarmed him, some of the more friendly one, rubbing up against his legs and hands. Noya stood by, awkward, watching, petting a grimey loud cat who had deemed him worthy of attention. He couldn’t take his eyes off Asahi, memorizing the way his face softened and his attention zeroed in on the purring hoard around his feet. A pang of jealousy rattled Noya’s heart. Was it jealousy toward Asahi, or the cats? He itched vigorously into the scruffy cat’s rump as if that would help pull the idea from his own brain and received a very displeased yowl in return.
</p><p>In the same way the cats called to Asahi, the ruins called to Noya. Like old friends. He had been travelling in Europe for quite some time and knew that old castles and crumbled ruins were in abundant supply. That did not diminish how cool they were to see, however. He had been reprogrammed in such a way that now when he saw old rocks, he had to climb them. He <i>had</i> to. They were an ancient playground and in the scope of human history he was basically a child.
</p><p>“Noya,” Asahi said in a vaguely nervous tone. “I don’t think we’re supposed to go in there.”
</p><p>Noya was already scrambling up onto a halved pillar, one leg poised slightly higher than the other as he surveyed the area. Asahi stood at the perimeter of the ruins. He laid a big hand on the gate that came up to his middle and screwed up his face in an expression of mild displeasure. 
</p><p>“It’s fine, Asahi. There’s no one around,” Noya said.
</p><p>“Yes, that’s exactly why I am worried.”
</p><p>“Come on, big guy, I promise to be careful. Let’s just look around for a little bit.”
</p><p>Resigned, Asahi entered the excavation site. They walked between crumbled buildings and columns, chatting about nothing in particular as they walked. Grass and weeds broke through the old stone floors of the once ancient city, a reminder that nothing lasts forever. There were no big structures or monuments that they could sit and wonder at, but Noya still managed to get his fill of the ruins by hopping from ledge to post whenever there was new unexplored rock to walk on. Asahi stuck to the ground, his eyes in front of him, watching for any uneven steps. Neither of them were paying attention when an older man entered the ruins and approached them until he was upon them, saying, “Hello there! Where are you from?” in broken English.
</p><p>Asahi turned white with fear. He was an adult now, but apparently his fear of disappointing others, authority in particular, had never entirely vanished. He looked like a kid who had been caught causing the most minor infraction in school and was certain he was about to be scolded and dealt with. Noya just stopped bouncing from ledge to ledge and tried to look like he knew what he was doing. It was a lost cause. He definitely just looked like a kid on a jungle gym.
</p><p>“Uh, sorry, we are just looking,” Asahi responded in his equally broken English. His voice wobbled. Trying to play it cool. Noya hopped off the ledge and walked a few feet away, admiring a weathered carving on a crumbled wall, hoping that it would add to Asahi’s confidence.
</p><p>The man was just a local and it was quickly clear that he was not here to scold them for trespassing or anything of the like. He was just friendly. Or he wanted to sell something. Asahi chatted with the man, even as they both struggled with their common language. It was almost precious, until Noya felt as though it had worn on too long. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the stranger put a hand on Asahi’s bicep as they both laughed at something that he had missed the punchline to. He briefly returned to Egypt, remembering Asahi talking with the tour guide at the pyramids, being bright and friendly. He had changed a lot since high school. His budding confidence had chipped away at the forcefield that kept people from noticing how likable and kind he was. It was a good thing, Noya told himself, even as the ugly jealousy curled in the pit of his stomach. Noya had always known, of course, but it was good that other people could see the goodness in Asahi now too.
</p><p>Bored with their conversation and still surrounded by his ancient playground, Noya hopped up on a pillar that was helping to hold up the crumbling wall. He wanted to get on top of the wall. It was a thin perch, but there was a little dip from a square window that he thought he could fit in and maybe he could pull Asahi away from that long conversation and to get a picture. He crouched on the pillar and leaned into the wall with his hands, precariously suspended between the two structures. His tongue stuck out between his teeth as he balanced and calculated.
</p><p>Noya was a very graceful man. He had honed his natural finesse and reflexes in volleyball for years, and those skills had never really gone away. He was just always naturally in control of his body. And just because he had been a libero, low to the ground like a current of electricity getting under a ball to shock it back into the air, did not mean he didn’t know how to jump. He had worked on the backline set for Asahi after all, and had been pretty damn good at that awkward sideways hop by the end of second year. And, most importantly, he knew how to fall. He knew how to roll out of any unplanned disaster, catch himself, sustain a bruise or two but otherwise protect his body so that he would be able to play another day. And yet, even birds lose their elegance from time to time.
</p><p>Noya hopped. He misjudged. His shoe, which was not built for climbing a flat wall, slipped. He fell with a yell. The conversation behind him died when Asahi’s attention was finally off the man he had been talking with, and wasn't that the end goal anyway? Noya moaned.
</p><p>“Are you okay?” Asahi asked, hurrying over to his side. He crouched beside Noya, who pulled himself up into a sitting position. He didn’t have an answer to Asahi’s question, until all at once he did. Pain. Searing pain in his ankle.
</p><p>“Oh, ow,” Noya hissed, turning his leg sideways so he could see it. The swelling. Like a tennis ball lodge under his skin, right above his ankle. He winced. Asahi just turned to the man he had been talking to who was now awkwardly backing away like he wanted to avoid being involved in this, and asked which direction the hospital was.
</p><p>Noya could not walk which left only one bleak option. He almost would have rather just stayed there and decayed into the earth, the wall he fell off of serving as an monolithic tombstone for his final resting place. But Asahi seemed determined to get him well, so he carefully hoisted Noya onto his back. Noya wrapped his arms around Asahi’s shoulders and held his breath. Wildly, as they walked down the street toward where they understood the hospital to be, Noya thought of the one bed waiting for them in their hotel room. There was no way Asahi would let him be a couch martyr now. He tried to think through a new excuse to distract himself, but the pain in his ankle was too great and burned away all other preoccupations. Noya squeezed Asahi’s shoulders and tried not to dwell on if this sensation was a cousin of what it would feel like to hold him while they slept.
</p><p>The doctor, who spoke only Greek and just barely managed to have a semblance of a conversation with Noya, seemed upset that they had walked all the way from the ruins. He was grumpy, but in an almost parental way, and forbade Noya from doing any other physical activities for the week. For the rest of the night he recommended only rest. While Noya sat in the doctor's office and was scolded about all the things he would not be able to do the rest of their time in Kos, Asahi ran to the pharmacy to find him crutches and painkillers, and then they made the painful trek back to the hotel.
</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Noya muttered as Asahi set up the couch to be a small bed for himself. He hadn’t even asked Noya. It was his empathy at work again, sensing that Noya was uncomfortable with something and making strides to accommodate him without much fanfare or drama. Noya was grateful. He did not want to unpack the bed situation just yet. He had too many other shameful concerns stacking up against him. “We should have just gone to the beach like you wanted. You still should. You shouldn’t miss out because of me.”
</p><p>Asahi stood up from his handiwork and faced Noya, a sad little grin on his face. He put his hands on his hips and just stood there for a moment, thinking. Then he said, “No, we’ll go to the beach together. This can be relaxing too. Just… Resting. Healing.”
</p><p>They spent the day watching movies that Asahi had downloaded on the small laptop he’d brought with him so he could still work. He hadn’t downloaded the movies in anticipation for this, it was just a small collection he’d built up over the years, but Noya was grateful for them. They sat close to each other on the bed, their shoulders a hair’s width apart. Noya put a lot of effort into keeping himself upright and that space intact when the pain killers kicked in and he started to get drowsy.
</p><p>He didn’t even remember falling asleep when he suddenly and violently woke up a few hours later. A loud burst of sound rattled the bed and he sat up with a jolt and a yell, looking around wildly, trying to remember where he was. Alone, in the center of the bed, his foot raised under a pillow, the bed made beneath him but a blanket thrown across his middle. The room was much darker and the open balcony displayed a dark night sky he couldn’t remember falling asleep to. The noise that had woken him up continued, loud and booming, but it morphed from some offensive alarm into something resembling music. Noya sat up on his elbows and looked around for Asahi.
</p><p>He was standing on the balcony, his body partially hidden by a long white curtain that had blown up on a gentle gust of wind but fell back down after a moment. His figure, long and strong, was outlined by a silvery moon. The muscles of his back were relaxed, graceful lines against the fabric of his fitted shirt. His hair was soft across his shoulders, down and pliant in the breeze. He was looking at something in the street. Noya felt a pang in his chest and decided he wanted the attention instead. He coughed.
</p><p>Asahi turned from the balcony and entered the room, a fond smile on his face. “Hello. How do you feel?”
</p><p>“Better,” Noya said, waving his hand around to brush aside the subject. It might not have been entirely true, he didn’t care. He had more pressing matters. “What’s going on?”
</p><p>“They’re having a party,” Asahi said, gesturing to the balcony, or rather the street below more likely. “The ‘unexpected family reunion’, I guess.”
</p><p>“They sound like they’re having fun.” Indeed, the cacophony of music had been joined by secondary sounds of conversation, laughter, and dancing.
</p><p>“They look like they’re having fun,” Asahi agreed, a touch wistfully.
</p><p>Noya bit the inside of his lip. He had been travelling and adventuring long enough to know that opportunities like this were the most sweet. When you stumbled upon the celebrations of the locals. Those were the moments you remembered from place to place, the memories that stuck out in your heart. You could make a million photo albums of selfies of you standing in front of the world's great wonders and brag about having seen the The Great Wall or Niagara Falls when they appeared in movies or whatever, but the stories you <i>wanted</i> to tell were the unplanned experiences. The parties. The laughs. The things you don’t have pictures of.
</p><p>And Noya was stuck in this bed, robbing Asahi of it.
</p><p>“Go down,” he said, firmly. “They’ll let you join them, I’m sure. They’re friendly. And you’re handsome. They’ll love you.”
</p><p>As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Noya regretted them. What did Asahi’s looks have to do with anything? But the image of him standing in the balcony was stuck in his mind and all he could think was <i>If I didn’t know who you were, I’d beg you to dance with me.</i>
</p><p>Asahi bit his lower lip and seemed to consider something. For a brief second, Noya wondered if he’d embarrassed him by calling him handsome outloud. But then he said, “Come with me.”
</p><p>Noya chuckled. “I’m supposed to stay in bed.”
</p><p>“I’ll carry you down the stairs,” Asahi said. “You can sit in a chair. Don’t make me go socialize with strangers alone.”
</p><p>There was no arguing with those pleading eyes. They melted Noya into submission. He even agreed to let Asahi carry him down the spiral staircase and was pleased to find that it was a chaotic enough venture that he couldn’t anguish over the extended touch or the way it made him feel like he was dying from a heart attack.
</p><p>The family that owned the hotel was, of course, delighted to include Asahi and Noya in their party. The more the merrier and all that. They poured drinks for the boys, heaped plates full of food, and dragged Asahi into a dance circle with them, even though he was laughing and trying to pull back so he could stand by the chair Noya was laid up in. The old Greek mothers would not take no for an answer. He would have lost an arm if he hadn’t gone eventually, laughing nervously and trying so hard to play it cool.
</p><p>Some children gathered around Noya, the antithesis of shy, full to the brim of probing questions about where he was from and what he was doing here and where he had been so far. Noya tried to keep them entertained with his wild travel stories, but his eyes kept drifting to the dancing circle. The way Asahi loosened up after a few minutes and moved with the rhythm. The hands of strangers on him, friendly and intimate. A fire burned in his heart. It was the cats all over again. The man in the ruins he talked to easily. Asahi had come a long way from the shy, awkward teenager he’d been in high school. He was better with people now, better at trusting himself with strangers. Noya was glad for him, but he also inevitably felt jealous of the bits of Asahi those strangers got to have. The bits that he was robbed of right now, stuck in his chair. He wanted to dance with Asahi, hold his hand, wrap an arm around his waist, laugh into his arm, work up a sweat together. But he couldn’t because of his leg.
</p><p>The same realization that Noya had in Cairo descended on him again. The one where he had to accept that Asahi was <i>here</i>. He was physically in Noya’s space, but he filled up more than that. Noya could not run anymore from the feeling he’d been smothering for 8 years. This was only the second destination of many as they made their way up to the arctic. He had to face the past eventually, confront what had happened on Asahi’s graduation day, admit that his feelings haven't changed and find a new peace in the world.
</p><p>	The next morning when Noya woke up with the sun, as was his proclivity. Asahi was still asleep, snoring softly, as was his. They were the sun and the moon, morning and night people, opposites though Noya had always hoped in a complimentary sort of way.
</p><p>	He struggled up onto his crutches, not wanting to wake Asahi but feeling stiff and ready to stretch away the sleep. When he was perched on them, he took a moment to breathe and found himself just admiring how Asahi had scrunched himself onto the couch. His toes were poking over the edge of the armrest. They looked cold, like they had in Cairo, sticking out of the edge of the twin sized sheet he’d fit himself under. Noya felt a pang of fondness in his chest and decided that soon, maybe not in Greece, but soon, he would talk to Asahi about their past so that they could finally turn their eyes on their future.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Uh, so, I'll get into a little more into the details of what has happened in later chapters, but if you need a timeline guide, here are the events of Asahi and Noya's life post-high school as I understand them from the manga and me just filling in the gaps:<br/>2013: Asahi graduated high school. Went to fashion school in Tokyo.<br/>2014: Noya graduated high school. Stayed home to work and save money.<br/>~2018: Noya left for his trip.<br/>2020: Olympics delayed, presumably due to COVID<br/>2021: the Olympics happen in Tokyo. Asahi left to join Noya on his trip. They started in Egypt.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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